2014-02-28 - Movie Night
Natasha had let Jarvis know that America was coming as soon as she walked in the door from her lessons at the Academy, and that they'd be watching movies in the sitting room. The intent was to simply let him know in order to let her in and let her know where Natasha was. Being Jarvis, however, he took it upon himself to bring an assortment of snacks suitable for movie watching. Healthy snacks. Fruits, vegetables, some crackers, and the like. For Natasha? A glass of milk and a can of ginger ale, just in case. For America? The Mexican, real-sugar Coca-cola she loved so much. Natasha stares at the bottles somewhat jealously, but doesn't reach for one as she waits on America to arrive, a movie (specifically, Reservoir Dogs) already popped into the disc player, on the opening screen. Natasha nibbles on a carrot, sighing lightly to herself. She looks pale, tired, and... yeah, her breasts are bigger. She's beginning to put on weight elsewhere, but it's not nearly as noticeable. It had been awhile since America had been to the mansion though it wasn't as if she'd forgotten the way there. Not being an Avenger, or in apparent good standing with a particular one, she'd had no real reason to come visit for awhile. Natasha though had been someone she needed to catch up with. Jarvis' greeting and showing her the way was a bit of a surprise though she is reasonably pleased by it. At least until she sees Natasha sitting there eating a carrot. "If you don't drink a soda this instant I'm going to be very disappointed. He's being an idiot. Women have survived for years without the infinite wisdom of men who think they know about pregnancy." America shakes her head as she strides over to nab a soda for herself regarding Natasha with a calm gaze. "He's an idiot." A sip of the soda is taken again only to roll it around in her mouth before swallowing. Redundantly she states again, "Tony Stark is an idiot. Man it feels good to say that." "Mm, been two days since I've had caffeine. Sodas aren't my thing, too sweet," Natasha says with a wrinkle of the nose. "But I will take a sip of yours." The carrots and veggies don't really bother her-- food is food to her. America may be a foodie, but Natasha... not so much. "He is an idiot," Natasha agrees, flipping the movie on to start playing in the background. It's one she'd watched with Clint a time or two, so it's more there for background noise while the two got to catch up. "Also a controlling, self-centered asshole." She quirks a slight grin at Rica. "But what else is new?" America falls down to sit beside Natasha on the couch with the boneless grace that comes with being young and nigh-invulnerable. The soda is offered out toward Natasha though. "Even if you want to cut down going cold turkey is going to suck. Especially with the other issues of .. you know. Baby stuff." Clearing her throat lightly she adds, "He's trying to find a house to buy. For you and him and the baby. I got the drift he hadn't really discussed this matter with you at the time and was just being his usual assuming self." Her gaze slides to the television watching it quietly a moment. Sure, she'd seen it before--sort of. Bits and pieces. Either way it was a small distraction and habit to stare at the TV when something was on it. "Is this really what you want, Natasha? I know it's what Tony wants, apparently, but... He doesn't seem to be taking your life into consideration here." Natasha shrugs. "He asked me to move in with him." Though arguably, he asked her after already house-hunting. "I told him I would." She sighs. "Things are complicated." She flinches at the screen. "Mm, gutshot. Bad," she says idly, before returning to the conversation at hand. "The child complicates things. From the fact you are speaking to me of it, I am assuming Tony told you?" She doesn't seem overly pleased nor surprised. But if Tony hadn't, Clint would have. "He asked me house hunting with him. Didn't want to go alone. Seems to be something he has an issue with. Being alone," America clarifies as she reaches for one of the snacks. Sure it was veggies but she actually had no problem with them. Not everything had to be gourmet all the time and it was similar to what they had half the time with Adam around. Better than stale pizza. "Yeah he told me. I had thought for a moment he asked me along to speak with me about Cap, or the Academy meeting he had everyone at." She takes a moment of bitter enjoyment crunching down roughly on the carrot before continuing. "He's trying, I know he is. But he doesn't know what he's doing and I'm pretty sure he's scared shitless. Of course children complicate things. But it's not up to you to provide him a happy family." Natasha nods slightly. "No. It isn't. But what is done is done. The child is here, and short of terminating it, is not going anywhere. Sometimes, it is not productive to look at what has gone wrongly. It is just best to move forward and handle things as they come." She shrugs, taking a sip of the milk, and then grabbing a slice of apple. "He was alone, once Sawyer died. And then she returned, and he has begun what looked to me to be a descent into madness. I am trying to slow, if not stop that descent." She sighs, rubbing her temples. "And no, of course he does not know what he is doing. None of us do. Superheroes do not tend to have children, America. We have messy lives; we are targets of madmen, psychopaths, and power-hungry killers; and most of us are barely capable of maintaining adult relationships in the first place." She finishes an apple slice. "Did you want to talk about Steve? Or the Academy? I understand you revoked your guest status there-- I saw the log when I was there for a class earlier. I know Clint is the headmaster now, and I've been meaning to speak with him regarding the direction of the school, but there are so many things going on right now I do not wish to add more to his plate." "Bullshit. My moms had me. It's not easy, but it's not as impossible as everyone assumes it is. It's just that you are two very, very wrong people to be having a child. Together or separately. The lives you chose for yourself don't have room for that," America points out with a shake of her head, before growing quiet with thought. "It's not up to you to stop Tony from having a breakdown either. You're not a psychiatrist. Get him to see one. Clearly he needs it. Even I saw that coming before Sawyer came back--The Extremis, brain hooked up to electronics thing--It's a bit much for a persons brain to handle I think." The question of Cap, and the Academy, causes her to go quiet again. "I'm beyond talking now. That ship sailed. I left the Academy because... yes, I was only a guest. Thought I was a friend too though. He doesn't seem to get that while he was addressing the Academy students, he also was asking things of my entire team, too." Sighing quietly she shrugs. "Clint is not the right person to run things. Field leader, too, I hear? Dumping his responsibilities on someone else that's likely to buckle under them isn't going to do anyone good." Natasha's eyes flash angrily. "I was the one who nominated Clint for field leader. He /can/ handle it, and he is the most qualified on the team to pick up the mantle Cap left behind. Giving him the academy? That was not my call-- though I think if the rest of us who teach there step up, we can lighten that burden for him. But don't you dare call this 'dumping' on him. Barton is stronger than you know. He has handled far worse." "I do not think having this child will be impossible," she says, her hand moving to rest on her abdomen thoughtfully. "I just said it would be complicated. And I am... concerned." She lifts a brow at this. "You mention the Extremis. What little bit I can find about the program-- it is a genetic alteration." Her eyes flit down towards her stomach, and then back to America. Almost pointedly. America frowns at Natasha when she jumps to Clint's defense, but her expression does soften. "I wasn't meaning he couldn't handle that part. It's just everything got put on him all at once it seems. Clint can barely handle Adam and his own bills much less the Academy. Fighting though? Yeah, that he can do. Just figure with the extra things it would make it harder." She wasn't offended though. In fact she would have been surprised if Natasha hadn't stood up for Clint some. "I don't know. I was one of the first to find out about it, actually. Had to keep it quiet for awhile till he kind of outed himself." Again she frowns and regards her soda thoughtfully. "I thought it was something to do with technology that he'd done to himself. I didn't realize it was on that level of fuckery." "I don't know how deep it goes," Natasha replies evenly. "There's not much to be found about it. But I have to the believe whatever madness Stark has is situational-- driven by the losses he's been through of late. If it's something else..." she trails off. "I told Tony if I felt he was a danger, I would put a bullet in his head. I do not think he believed me." She shrugs. "That is his loss. The sex is adequate, and the child is what I must concern myself with now. It is not what I would have chosen, but it is what is. I will stay with him. At this point, the losses otherwise are unacceptable to cease moving forward-- I will not have them be for nothing." "Could always find someone to foster the kid," America suggests as she tries to very, very pointedly not dwell on the 'sex is adequate' remark. Somehow it earns a smirk though. "And... yeah, I don't think he really realizes a lot of things. Hell, you tried to kill me. I don't think that's something you really joke about." "That was my first thought, the fostering," Natasha says coolly, taking another drink of her milk. "But Stark wants to 'play house' as Clint terms it. I think he will grow bored of it quickly. It is like when Clint says things like 'take vacation' or 'retire'-- it is like that they think it is some miracle cure that will change them from what they need." She snorts. "Heroing is an addiction. And not one you quit." America considers this for a few moments though she's already nodding in agreement. "It's a lifestyle. You either are, or you aren't and... If you are? What else could you want to be? There's no 'normal' life. That IS your life. I made that decision when I was a kid. I could have had a nice, easy, perfect life in a utopia." She pauses to sip at her soda with a little slurp as she was already through most of the bottle. "I only ever wanted to be a hero like moms and ..." Abruptly she cuts off realizing she was sharing too much. Another mouthful of soda is taken as she offers a shrug trying to brush it off. "Get one of those fake babies that they stick kids with in school these days to show them what being a parent is like. The kind that wakes you up at three in the morning crying for no reason." Natasha snorts. "I think he might enjoy that. Or use his mind to hack it and make it quiet. One of the two." She finishes her milk and picks up another carrot. "The path is set, America. It is what it is. Perhaps this should have happened long ago, I do not know." She sighs. "You do realize Clint is going to be the crazy uncle, right?" America offers this with a wry grin at the very thought. He was doing okay with Adam so far--other than letting him do pretty much anything at least. But a baby? The television is eyed again as she thinks quietly. "Guess I need to figure out where to go in the future myself at this point. I'm more inclined to help with the Academy if Clint's running it. Not really thrilled about it, but the team's kind of split otherwise." "See? This is what I mean, perhaps should have happened before." Natasha sighs again. "None of us think much of the future. All things are are the moment-- but Clint has been growing up since he has had Adam-- do not tell him I said this though, he enjoys being Peter Pan. Now we think of it. Perhaps this is for the best. We will not be around forever. This is why the Academy was created. To train the next generation of heroes." She nods slightly. "I saw the video of your Young Avengers. You should be proud of your team." "They're good. I should have been there though," America shrugs it off. Not everyone would be around all the time--she knew this. "We're a good bunch, and Jeanne's a good teacher for Adam. Plus I think she needs some more time with people that are... people. Otherwise she'll end up a computer-brain like Tony. Only more successful at it no doubt." "Yes," Natasha gives a slight smirk. "I have assigned her to take him with on a stealth simulation. I think the results will be quite eye-opening for her." Oh yes, Natasha was a troll. Anyone who had seen her and Clint together longer than a few minutes knows this. America very nearly chokes on her soda while taking a sip of it. She does cough, and has to hit her chest a time or two before she blurts out, "Oh damn you've got to let me see that chica." That was hilarity bound to happen. How could it NOT be? If his stealth was anything like it had been on Genosha it was bound to be explosively BAD. "Had to keep him nearly chained up in Genosha so he wouldn't go rampaging looking for Clint. Much as I hate to say it he's kind of our loose cannon--Which is amusing because that used to be me. I don't get angry near as often as I used to." Natasha chuckles. "I will let you watch the footage with me," she agrees with a smirk. "It is bound to be more entertaining than this movie."